


A Mess

by obviouslyelementary



Series: Final Fantasy XIV [18]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Gen, Kissing, M/M, No Angst, Pre-Canon, Romance, Teen Romance, Teenagers, dumb teens, embarrassing your boyfriend in front of the emperor, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29840598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary
Summary: They sure were a mess... and that was the fun of it, Nero guessed.
Relationships: Cid nan Garlond/Nero tol Scaeva
Series: Final Fantasy XIV [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029102
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	A Mess

**Author's Note:**

> I blame Gaiustinien discord group for this and also myself

"NERO!"

"Holy emperor, what in the world-"

Nero turned around from his work only to be tackled by a small but quite strong built Cid Garlond, arms wrapping around the blonde's neck. Nero huffed, feeling lucky that he was standing in a firm wooden chair, or else it would have cracked and broken under Cid's... _enthusiastic_ approach. Still, he wrapped his arms around the smaller garlean, allowing him to adjust and sit on his lap, a position that... well, if Nero hadn't been too focused on the current problems he was facing with his project, could have caused some concern.

"Nero, pack up" Cid said after his attack was successful, their faces so close their noses were brushing. Nero furrowed his eyebrows, confused, while his overly excited, hm, _fling_ , stared down at him with bright eyes and a grin on his face. He, however, was confused.

"Pack up? What in the world are you on about, Garlond?" he asked, annoyed, perhaps too much, because Cid pouted on his lap but quickly smiled again and brushed their noses together. By heavens, Cid could be so... affectionate sometimes... and it did not help that when he was, Nero would blush like a preteen talking to their crush.

"You are spending the night over at my house. I have a present for you, I think you'll like it" he explained, his chest puffing up in that way it did when he thought he was the best of the best, top of the world. Nero both hated and loved that attitude, something he learned to mirror. Still, he was unconvinced.

"Cid, how many times have I told you, I cannot just go and spend a night at your house because you want to. First, it isn't polite, and second, your father is-"

"If you come with the 'your father is the emperor's engineer' talk again, I will tie you up and take you home myself" Cid warned, flicking Nero's nose and making him frown, although Cid saying 'home' in a context that involved them both... well, it did make his heart skip. "I don't care about what he thinks or what he wants, I want you, my boyfriend, to come and sleep over today, and that's what will happen. He can punish me later, although we both know he will be too busy to do anything about it."

Well that much was true, Cid never got any reprimands ever because his mother was a sweetheart and his father was always working. Still, it did not make it any easier for Nero to just feel comfortable in the presence of someone so... incredible as Cid's father. Honestly, making himself worthy enough to even consider Cid Garlond a _friend_ had taken him over half a decade... He was conservative, who could blame him?

Also, did he call Nero his _boyfriend?_

"Cid, listen, even if I wanted to, which I don't, I have this huge project to finish and you know how hard it's been. The problems are simply running over my head and I can't catch a single one, I can't leave this away for a night at your house" he said, frustrated, but unconsciously pulling Cid closer by his waist. He pouted on top of Nero, before he tilted his head and sighed.

"Guess I will have to use the sleeping powder I brought."

Nero's eyes widened as Cid seemed to seriously reach out for his pocket, and Nero stopped him, squeezing his waist.

"I don't have any say in this?! Garlond!" he complained, to which he received a kiss in return, but no laugh or 'I was joking'. Oh shit, he was serious.

"Not this time you don't" Cid assured, kissing him again, and then wiggling on top of Nero to get more comfortable. "Now, I will help you pack, you need your best clothes for tomorrow. I swear you will not be disappointed."

"Garlond, what in the world are you planning?" Nero asked, almost in a groan, but the kiss that followed was enough to make him quiet, this one not quick but warm, hands holding his face, tongue gently brushing against his bottom lip and making him squirm.

Suddenly his work seemed very... not important.

Almost two hours later and they were ready. Since Nero had no idea where Cid would be taking him in the next day, he packed a few outfits, all of them after testing, adjusting and requesting opinions. Cid was never a fashionista, not like him anyway, and his replies were usually 'looks good' to which Nero wanted to die, but alas, he was packed and ready to go.

He rechecked his bag one last time before they left, making Cid roll his eyes and sigh from the doorway, before he nodded and made his way out, locking the apartment door and following his friend to the street. It was cold – as usual – outside the building, but since it was spring it hadn't been too cold. As they waited for the transport to arrive – even though Cid had his own but never used it – Cid reached out for his hand, taking it on his own, half hidden underneath their jackets. Nero felt his cheeks burning, glad he was pale enough to blame the cold air, and slowly moved closer to Cid, until their arms were fully touching.

He saw the look Cid gave him through the corner of his eyes, but ignored his smirk and proud expression. Nero was _not_ one for PDA, but they had been in this little game for a while now, and the streets were fairly empty due to the time. It wasn't bad, to hold his _boyfriend's_ hand. Right? Right.

The transport arrived and they hopped inside, Cid making sure to hold Nero's hand tight so he wouldn’t escape, and making their way towards the end of the vehicle to sit down, away from prying eyes. They sat down next to each other, only five other people inside, and their hands continued to hold each other while Nero placed his bag on his lap. He stared out the window at the city around them, not really seeing anything but a blur of white, grey and black. His mind was actually focused on the said 'surprise' Cid was planning, and most important, in the warm hand against his own. Suddenly it moved, just a little, enough to twist and intertwine their fingers together, making Nero almost throw up at how much his heart raced. He placed his cheek against the cold window, wanting to blame the cold for the pink on his cheeks, even though Cid would know exactly why they were colored, and no one else in the transport would even look at him.

Suddenly, when he was finally beginning to calm down, Nero felt a warm breath against his ear and gasped, covering his mouth at his own sound and feeling his whole face blushing, not only his cheeks. He turned to face Cid who had his eyes wide in surprise, and a smile on his face full of contentment. Little shit. He chuckled quietly and leaned closer again, but not that close, while Nero stared at him angrily.

"Sorry" he whispered, with not a drop of sincerity on his voice "I just wanted to ask you about what you'd like for dinner. I did not expect to catch you so... lost in thought."

"Go fuck yourself" Nero responded, as quietly as Cid, making the smaller garlean chuckle quietly and then nod.

"Alright, that's what you'll get for dinner. Although I thought it better for dessert" he teased, making Nero even more pissed, looking away again to the outside, but never letting go of Cid's hand. It was just so... warm. Even if they were beginning to get sweaty, it still felt comfortable and right. So odd. "Come on I'm serious, what do you want for dinner?"

"Aren't your mother going to cook?" he asked, not looking at Cid but not as tense as a moment ago either. He felt him shrugging to his side and sighed. "Roast? Stew? I don't know Garlond, I eat frozen food almost every day."

"That's why I am asking what you want. So you can have whatever you want, even if we have to buy it" Cid said, his hand squeezing Nero's gently, making him feel oddly uncomfortable.

"I hate when you do that. I don't want anything" he mumbled, half hoping Cid wouldn't listen, but of course he did, and good that he did too. "I'm not your charity case."

"By the emperor Nero, I know you're not, why are you always like this? I just want to buy you something tasty to eat, once. We don't even have to buy it, my mom can cook it too! Or one of the maids! Can you please try not to be so... closed all the time?"

It did seem like Cid was honestly frustrated, his voice made a slight different tilt when he was. Nero sighed through his nose, turning around to face him, finding him staring down at his own lap and fidgeting with his fingers. He squeezed his hand and Cid looked up.

"I want your mother's stew. It is delicious" he said, with all sincerity he could muster, and Cid grinned at him, leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. Nero tried to move away but couldn't, not in time, his face burning as he turned away and stared outside again, hearing Garlond's chuckles in the back.

Still, he couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Mother, father, I'm home!"

The screams were common to the household, but Nero couldn't help but flinch a little whenever Cid just... yelled his way inside. He immediately tried to pull his hand away, for, you know, the class, but their fingers were so intertwined still that it was impossible, specially with Cid making a point that he would absolutely _not_ let go. So, Nero sucked it up and sighed, trying to keep his face as blank and passive as possible, back straight, free hand gripping on his bag. He could hear faint talking upstairs and soon Cid's mother appeared from the kitchen, wearing a nice casual dress underneath an apron that said 'proud cook-mama'. So... cheesy. No wonder Cid was like that too.

"Oh Cid, finally! We were growing worried" she said, rushing to the boys and chuckling. "You brought Nero over... I never thought your father would be able to convince you otherwise. Hello Nero, it's always a pleasure to have you here!"

She was always so warm and inviting, she reminded him of his own mother sometimes, lost somewhere in the outskirts of the empire. Nero did not have much time to linger on those thoughts, however, once it was clear that nan Garlond was not pleased with his presence.

"Perhaps I should leave. You know, I do not wish to be a bother for you or your husband..." he said, trying to pull away, but Cid was unwavering and his mother was a gentle, sweet soul, who loved company.

"Oh please, you are welcome to stay even if Cid hadn't invited you" she said, moving closer and pulling him for a hug. Nero awkwardly hugged her back, having to balance the bag on his shoulder and hold Cid's hand at the same time. Damn Cid Garlond and his excessive safety precautions. It wasn't like he was going to run away if he let go! "I am making some stew, go change into something warmer and relax while I finish everything up. And remember, door open!" she teased, winking at them and returning to the kitchen.

This time, even Cid was blushing.

"Sometimes I wish she wasn't so..."

"You?" Nero finished, looking at Cid as he furrowed his eyebrows. Finally, _finally,_ Cid let go of his hand, and nodded for him to follow. Nero did for a second consider running away, but ultimately sighed and followed the smaller garlean upstairs. Even though he never wished to cause trouble for Cid's family despite his attempts, he also knew that when Cid prepared a surprise, well, it was worth to take a look. He was not a romantic by any nature – and neither was Nero if he was being honest – but he sure knew how to make Nero feel, well, amazing, in many ways.

They got inside Cid's room in the second floor, and Cid was quick to ditch his jacket and shoes and jump on his own bed, sighing at the comforting feeling. Nero took his time, removing his coat and placing it over a chair, then removing his boots and placing them away so no one would step on them, and finally laid his bag on the ground next to the bed for later. Then, he gave a short, shy glance towards the open door, and then sat down next to Cid, who was already on one of his pads, working on something. That made Nero frown, slapping his chest and making the smaller teen gasp.

"Hey!"

"Hey you! You pulled me away from my project to work on yours? Not a chance, Garlond."

"What do you suggest we do? Food isn't ready, dad is in a meeting, door is open..." Cid hummed, throwing his pad away anyway and pulling Nero down on the bed, both of their sides, the blonde squeaking and blushing as he fell. "Well... I mean... we won't be bothered for a while..."

"We are not going to... frolic around while your father and your mother are at home, and the door is open for them to see. Absolutely not" Nero said, firmly, pushing Cid's hand away as it tried to slid under his shirt. " _Garlond._ "

"No frolic I swear... you get so tense when you come over, it's not like you're the first guy I bring home" Cid said, with a naturality that honestly made Nero's chest burn. He pretended not to care about Cid's past romances and flings, he tried to ignore the stares he got from guys at the academy, but being reminded of it by Cid himself, well, it wasn't a good feeling in the slightest. And maybe he wasn't able to hide it as well as he did once, because Cid softened almost instantly, and frowned. "Sorry, I-"

"No frolicking. No silly hands. No hot and heavy make out" Nero said, firmly, and Cid shut up and nodded, that determined look on his face that Nero found so... endearing. It was the same as when he was focused on a project or confused about a problem. A cute little frown and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Nero initiated the touch this time, leaning in and taking Cid's mouth on his, gentle, slow, soft and _chaste,_ most importantly. He took his time, reaching up to hold Cid's face, brushing his fingers over his jawline, cheekbone, earlobe, just lazily tracing all the places he found breathtaking, all while his lips moved against Cid's, warm, tasting of his usual coffee mixed up with something minty, so sweet and refreshing that Nero _had_ to nibble on it, lick it, suck on it very gently, in a teasing motion that left Garlond shivering next to him. He was so sensitive sometimes, got enticed by the gentlest of touches: a lick, nibble, brush, a puff of air... Nero could make him a mess if he wanted, it was like Cid was touchstarved somehow. He liked it, he loved it, but he loved more when Cid made _him_ a mess.

Still, it was no time for lingering in such thoughts, and thus Nero stopped himself from teasing any further, accepting the small crack between Cid's lips as invitation enough and deepening the kiss, tilting his head, pulling him closer by his nape. Cid seemingly gasped against his mouth before returning the kiss, just as gentle and hot as Nero, opening his mouth further and sliding his tongue against the blonde's, slow, gentle, not pushing or rushing. It was rare to see Cid so controlled, Nero liked it. Usually he was a ball of energy needing release, but he knew how uncomfortable Nero felt, and allowed him to take his time.

His time, however, was very poorly calculated, because not a minute into the kiss, he heard someone clearing their throat and pulled away, only to see mister nan Garlond himself standing by the doorway, looking utterly uncomfortable, very much like Nero felt at the moment. He pulled away, quickly, sitting up and pushing his hair back, his face probably bright red with embarrassment while Cid took his time and stretched before sitting up and smiling, like the idiot he was.

"Hey dad."

"Cid" he said, quietly, and rubbed the bridge of his nose before turning around and facing the other way. "Come with me, please. We have to talk."

"Be right there" Cid called after his father, watching him leave while Nero swore his heart would jump out of his chest at any moment. The kiss placed on his cheek did not help, in fact, it only made it worst. "I'll be right back. Change."

Nero took a deep breath and watched as Cid made his way out and to the left, towards his father's office. He let out a sigh and a quiet whimper, falling back down on the bed and covering his face with his arm. What would his father, his mother say? By the emperor, this was a mess... _he_ was a mess. _Cid Garlond_ made him a mess.

In the back of his mind, he could hear faint voices talking a few rooms away, but discarded them completely. He wanted to hear what they were saying, and he probably could if he only focused, but he probably would just want to leave and he did not want to leave. So, he did what miss Garlond suggested, and took some comfortable clothes to the bathroom with him. He changed, fixed his hair and made sure he was presentable, before he left the bathroom and waited for Cid by his desk, looking through his projects. There were so many... he couldn't even begin to count.

Actually, he probably could, and he probably could make them even better, but he still wanted the place as the emperor's engineer and Cid had too much advantage already.

Eventually, Cid returned, and his father even stopped and gave Nero a nod and a smile before heading downstairs. Nero responded with a nod of his own, while Cid sat down on his bed and sighed.

"My father can be so... annoying sometimes" he said, shaking his head and falling down on the bed again. "I have no idea how so many people – even you – can adore him so much."

"Because we don't have him as a father, we have him as the empire's engineer, and he is the best at what he does" Nero said, having heard this talk many times before and growing tired of it. "Now should we go downstairs? Or should we wait?"

"My mom probably has the stew ready by now, we could go down" Cid agreed, sitting up again and smiling. "Decided to put on something comfy?"

Nero looked down at his clothes – a big sweater, one of Cid's mother's own gifts, on top of a simple white shirt, some black sweatpants... he believed he was presentable enough, and also comfy enough, to be at Cid's house.

"Aren't you going to change?" Nero asked instead of answering, receiving a shrug in response before Cid jumped up and walked to his closet. He chose black briefs and a large, fluffy robe in dark blue, and then placed both items on the bed. Nero did take a second or two to figure out what he would do, just before he had a naked Cid in front of him, his eyes widening at the sight. Cid winked at him, clearly not affected by anything at all, before he pulled on the briefs and then wrapped the robe around himself.

"You are red, Nero! Is it too cold in here?"

His shit-eating grin made Nero huff, and he shook his head, pushing his thoughts aside. Then, he stood, and headed over to the door, being followed by his way-too-annoying boyfriend, both walking downstairs and sitting at the dinner table. Soon, mister Garlond joined them, followed up by miss Garlond not a minute later. A maid then served them, one plate each, while another served the drinks: wine for the adults, juice for Nero and Cid. Of course it was just pretense, they were almost old enough to drink and they had drank, well, several times before, but Nero still appreciated their class.

They ate together, mostly in silence, every comment directed to Nero and Cid's work at the academy, how they were doing, how many projects they had. Nero, always taking pride in his own work and needing to hear the approval from such a great mind as nan Garlond himself, went on and on about his projects while Cid barely said a word, enjoying his mother's food with contentment. Once they were finished, the maids served them a nice pudding as dessert, and the talked continued, although less fervent due to their biological clock settling down for sleep time.

"I dislike being the ruin of such a delightful dinner, but I must go to bed, and I suggest you two go as well. We have to wake up early tomorrow, the meeting wi-"

"Father!" Cid exclaimed, eyes wide, and mister Garlond stared at him for a moment before turning his eyes to Nero and letting out a quite disappointed sigh.

"I will go to bed" he said, standing up and giving his wife a kiss on the forehead before heading upstairs. Miss Garlond let out a giggle, apparently the two of them were in with Cid's plan and Nero did not like it one bit.

"He is right, we should probably go to sleep. Goodnight mom" Cid said, waving at her and pulling Nero by the hand, making him gasp, giving him almost no time to say goodnight to her. They rushed upstairs, door remaining open as Nero stopped next to Cid's desk and stared at him, frowning.

"First, you should not speak to your father like that. Second, what in the name of the empire is happening here?! What is happening tomorrow? What meeting are we going to?!"

"Nero, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. But believe me, you will love it" Cid said, laying down on his bed and yawning. "We should sleep, it will be quite a busy morning tomorrow. You wouldn't want to look tired. Believe me."

"You know, sometimes, I truly hate you" Nero said, but ultimately decided not to investigate, instead taking off his sweater and laying down on the bed next to Cid, glad that for some reason he had a double bed instead of a normal one. Cid smiled at him, getting himself up towards the pillows and turning off the light, just before Nero let out a groan. "We didn't brush our teeth."

Cid let out a chuckle.

In the next morning, Nero woke up as if he had slept seven thousand years and finally rested. He yawned, stretched, and wrapped his arms around the warm body next to him, wiggling closer until his face was pressed against the soft, silky hair. He breathed him in, smiling in his sleepy state, getting comfy on the pair of arms that wrapped around his waist and pulled him closer.

"Ugh... sleep..." he heard Cid mumbling against his chest, and he chuckled, nuzzling against his hair and yawning again.

"Don't we have... somewhere to be?" he asked, softly, without any real want to leave that place. It was so cozy, so warm and vacant of worries. Cid made him feel like that, sometimes, when he wasn't being an idiot.

"I don't want to go" Cid mumbled, and squeezed Nero a bit more, getting a breathless chuckle from him. He moved his head to face the smaller garlean, kissing his third eye and making him wince. "No..."

"Come on" he said, poking his waist. "It is my surprise isn't it?"

Cid groaned, louder this time, and then moved his head to look at Nero, nodding and kissing him softly, making him frown. Cid smirked, he knew Nero hated morning kisses, and then sat up with a bit stretch, followed by the blonde. They got out of bed, Cid heading to the bathroom while Nero took his time making the bed, and then both headed on to their morning routine, while Nero tried to ignore how domestic they seemed around each other. It did not settle well on his stomach.

Once they were finished, they changed, and headed downstairs for breakfast. On the way down, mister Garlond appeared, and the three of them ate alone, served by the maids. Once they were done, nan Garlond stood and nodded for the boys to follow him, and follow him they did, making their way out towards his magiteck transport and getting inside while the driver took off.

Unlike the previous moments, when they were in bed and getting dressed, Cid's mood was quite sour now that they were heading to... wherever they were. It did seem like he had no want to be there, and even Nero's presence wasn't helping much. Not that he was trying to help, definitely more focused on trying to find out where they were going.

Eventually the trio reached the capitol, and most importantly, the castle. Nero stared at the magnificent structure with his eyes wide, and hopped out of the vehicle as it stopped. He waited for Cid and his father, walking next to them inside the building, his nerves flourishing and making his stomach bubble up with anxiety. Whoever they had come to meet, it was certainly important, and Nero wasn't sure he was ready for such a feat. Still, he swallowed his fears and followed father and son to the elevator, looking around in amazement.

"You have never been in here, have you, Nero?" Cid's father asked, calling his attention, and Nero shook his head, giving him a look and seeing the sympathetic smile on his face. "Well, welcome to your empire's central of command."

Cid next to him huffed and rolled his eyes, but Nero nodded and looked forward again, tense, quiet. The doors eventually opened and they followed through a large hallway towards a set of wooden doors that opened themselves at their arrival. Inside, a nice waiting area, minimalistic style of furnishing, a single secretary behind a marble desk.

Cid took his hand then, and pulled him towards one of the couches, while his father talked to the woman. Nero pulled his hand away immediately, his cheeks burning, and sat down next to Cid, just staring, still confused and nervous about whom they were there to see. The secretary spoke quietly, and even in the empty room he could not hear her, but the talk with nan Garlond was brief, and soon he nodded for the two of them.

"Come" he called, and Nero stood up, following him inside while Cid took his time, heading inside the next chamber after them, seemingly unwilling to go.

Once inside, well... Nero had to hold back his fight or flight response.

The room was... huge, sure, with beautiful pieces, a long red carpet, pictures in golden frames scattered around the walls, statues, beautifully adorned windows... the room itself would have caused Nero to stop and stare, wasn't the object of his attention all the way down the room.

The throne on itself was... breathtaking, but the fact that it was not empty... his heart leaped, and he stared like an animal in front of its hunter, taking in the figure in front of them: the _Emperor_ , _Solus zos Galvus_ himself, in the flesh. His heart was in his throat as he stared, feeling like his soul was leaving his body and making him absolutely empty. He would have stayed still forever, wasn't Cid's hand touching his back and urging him forward, somewhat breaking his stance and making him move. He did so, however, completely automatically, making his way towards the throne and stopping next to Cid's father, just a few steps away from the emperor himself. His throat was dry, his head was empty, his hands were shaking and so, so sweaty.

"My lord" he heart Cid's father saying, and from the corner of his eyes saw him bow. He repeated the gesture, bowing as well, before his eyes returned to his majesty, cheeks burning when he noticed his yellow eyes staring right into his soul.

"For what I remember, Garlond, I requested you and your son's visit" the emperor said, his voice quite thinner in person, and still very firm, possessing extreme power. Nero felt his knees shaking. "Who might this be?"

"This is-" nan Garlond started, looking at Nero, but Cid cut him off right away.

"This is my boyfriend, Nero Scaeva" he said, and oh by the empire if that didn't make Nero burn with anger. His head snapped to the side, together with nan Garlond's, both of them cursing Cid with their eyes while he reached for Nero's hand and held it. "I wanted to bring him along, he is quite a fan of yours, my lord."

Oh, he was going to _murder_ Cid Garlond.

"Cid! M-my lord, forgive my son, he is in quite a... phase, at the moment" nan Garlond tried to fix the situation, while Nero pulled his hand away from Cid, or tried, but his grip was impossible to release. "Pay him no mind."

"I-I can leave, m-my lord, if you so desire" Nero tried, turning his eyes back to the emperor for a moment before looking down at his own feet, stomach turning inside his body. He felt like he could throw up at any second, and he would absolutely blame Cid for it. After a moment of silence, however, he heard the emperor chuckle, and looked up in surprise to see the man in a more comfortable position, one leg crossed over the other, head tilted and eyes narrowed, a smirk on his face.

"Gladly, you found me in a good mood today, mister Garlond" he said, directed to Cid, who seemed just as surprised as Nero himself, his cheeks blushing pink at the directed words. "Besides, I am always happy to get to know more of my, how did you put it, _fans_. You are welcomed to stay, mister Scavea. I have heard quite a lot about you, it seems your teachers are quite impressed with your projects and abilities in the engineering department. Perhaps you could even be useful in the project we shall be discussing. After all, a new perspective is always welcomed."

The smirk, the stare, the power... Nero felt his whole body shivering and yet he nodded, turning all his nerves into focus. If he could, he would help, and he would give his opinions when requested. Nan Garlond seemed relieved as well, while Cid just let go of his hand and gave him an uncertain look, but a smile nevertheless. While nan Garlond began to tell the emperor about the new project he was working on, Nero paid close attention, having heard about it in some of the lectures in the academy. It was quite a project, something that could truly end all the empire's enemies. Something about a moon, a primal, a calamity.

If he could aid his emperor, he would, with everything he had.

The meeting really took the entire morning, and by the time the emperor was satisfied, the sun was far above the building, letting in a nice warm light inside. Nero was tired of talking and thinking, because yes, he was requested to do so by Solus zos Galvus, and he did not disappoint. Cid barely spoke a word, he seemed uneasy with the plan and the schemes, and his father gave out all he could for the project. By the end of it, the emperor seemed satisfied, pulling away and humming.

"Very well, you may begin the project straight away" he said, nodding to Garlond and then turning to face Nero with a smirk on his face. "And you, boy, have quite the talent. I can see you going far in the empire, if you wish to do so."

"Yes, I do, my lord" he said, quickly, bowing down to the emperor. He felt a hand on his head and froze, looking up to see Solus staring at him, hand over his head, eyes narrowed but calm.

"Make sure not to follow the wrong path. Always remember that the empire is all, and it is the world's only salvation" he said, pulling his hand away, and Nero gave him a shaky nod, stepping back to stand next to Cid while his father finished off his talk. He asked the two of them to leave the room and they did, Nero barely breathing as they made their way to the waiting room.

"You are never going to wash your hair again, are you?" Cid asked, smirking at Nero, who huffed loudly and crossed his arms, staring angrily at him.

"I am never going to accept a surprise invitation from you again, that is what" he said, even though he didn't really mean it. "You- you brought me to see the emperor himself, without telling me _anything_ about it?! I could have made myself a fool!"

"Oh believe me, I knew he would like you. He likes everyone who thinks the empire is the perfect solution for the world" Cid said, rolling his eyes, suddenly seeming to be way too... upset. Nero furrowed his eyebrows, uncrossing his arms and putting them on his waist.

"Don't you?"

Cid simply shrugged lightly, and was saved by his father coming out. He smiled at the two, and nodded for them to follow, the way back to the vehicle and even back to their house quiet. Cid seemed uncomfortable, and Nero still had his nerves flourishing out of his skin. Once back at the Garlond household, miss Garlond was waiting for them with lunch, smiling and asking how the meeting had been, to which nan Garlond responded with pride, but also resignation, knowing he would have to travel far away to complete the project. Nero and Cid were quiet, and by the end of the meal, they stood up.

"I should return to my apartment" Nero said, Cid's mom pouting at him. She tried to convince him to stay longer but he refused, thanking them for their hospitality and making his way up to grab his bag. Cid followed him, both quiet, but once inside the room, Cid sighed and sat down on his bed.

"I'm sorry" he said, making Nero turn to face him, confused. "I did want to make you happy, you've always talked about meeting the emperor, and I knew you would cause a good impression."

"No need to pout about it, Garlond. I was a nervous wreck and I wanted to strangle you, but now I'm fine" he said, rolling his eyes and putting his bag over his shoulder. Cid stared at him like a puppy in the rain, and Nero rolled his eyes again, moving closer and giving him a kiss. "Now can you stop sulking and take me home?"

"Aren't you mad?" Cid asked, hopeful, his eyes wide and shiny, and Nero sighed deeply before moving away and watching his boyfriend get up.

"I'm always mad. At you specifically. Now come on."

He made his way out of the bedroom, Cid following right behind, both saying their goodbyes to his parents and then hopping in the public transport, finding a place to seat and getting quiet. Not long after they were settled, Nero reached out and found Cid's hand over his lap, taking it on his own and shyly intertwining their fingers together, cheeks burning a little while he stared out at the sunny day.

It was his quiet way of saying 'thank you', despite not wanting to say it. And Cid took it, squeezing his hand and settling down more comfortably against the seat.

They sure were a mess... and that was the fun of it, Nero guessed.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated.


End file.
